Kai spoke quickly.
Yes.
He was genuinely curious about Danzo's true objective.
When he first sensed that something was off, he had already discussed it with Nara Kōji.
Unfortunately—
There had been too few clues.
So few that even guessing was difficult.
But now?
Danzo had finally made his move.
And judging by the timing, there was a very high chance he had succeeded.
Which meant—
Of course Kai wanted to know immediately.
So after briefly explaining his reasoning to Namikaze Minato, he went straight to the question he cared about most.
But on the other side—
After listening to Kai's analysis, Minato froze for a moment.
Yes.
He hadn't expected Kai to have seen through things this early.
If that was the case…
Didn't that make him look a little slow?
The corner of Minato's mouth twitched. After a helpless sigh, he shook his head and spoke.
"Alright, alright."
"You were going to find out sooner or later anyway."
"So it doesn't really matter if I tell you now."
"Last night, at least half of the Sarutobi clan's ninja were killed."
"And the two elders—Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura—were also assassinated."
"As for the exact details, no one knows yet."
"The information sent from the village was very brief."
"We'll only know the full situation after we return."
Minato let out a sigh.
He looked troubled.
Obviously—
As someone who believed deeply in justice, he only wished everyone could understand one another and work together to protect the village.
Wouldn't that be better?
Instead, internal struggles erupted endlessly, with so many ninja dying for nothing.
He truly hated this.
As for Kai—
After hearing this, he stared blankly for a moment.
Then his expression turned… strange.
Good grief.
He had considered many possibilities before.
But this?
This had never crossed his mind.
Danzo, are you insane?
The Uchiha weren't even dealt with yet, and you were already slaughtering your own people?
First Sarutobi Shinnosuke wasn't enough—
Now you killed half of the Sarutobi clan in a single night?
Damn.
Thinking about how Sarutobi Hiruzen had worked tirelessly—embezzling village funds, swallowing the legacies of the Senju, the Uzumaki, Hatake Sakumo, and countless others—just to barely build up the Sarutobi clan…
And you—
You wiped out half of them in one night?
Kai couldn't help but imagine it.
Sarutobi Hiruzen fainting in the toilet from rage.
At the very least, vomiting three liters of blood.
Just thinking about it—
It was glorious.
So satisfying.
Of course—
If circumstances allowed, Kai would've loved nothing more than to set off firecrackers and crack open a few bottles to celebrate properly.
But reality didn't permit it.
So after struggling for a long moment, he finally forced himself to speak.
"This is… truly a tragic event."
And then—
"Hahahahaha!"
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."
"I mean—I'm really sad. Hahaha!"
Minato's eye twitched violently.
He looked at Kai and could only sigh again.
Naturally—
He didn't question Kai.
He simply wasn't in that position.
In the past, how Sarutobi Hiruzen had suppressed and bullied the Uchiha—Minato might not have fully understood.
But now?
After seeing the village's darkness with his own eyes, he had no right to accuse Kai of being wrong.
Still—
After hesitating for a moment, Minato reminded him quietly.
"Um… Kai."
"If you want to laugh, finish it here."
"When we see the Hokage later, try not to be too… excessive."
"Hokage-sama is already in a terrible mood."
"And remember—we're still in the Land of Iron."
"If you two start fighting here…"
"Konoha's reputation will be completely ruined."
"You know this, right?"
"Yes.
Even if it wasn't for Sarutobi Hiruzen—
The village's face still mattered.
With the other four great ninja villages still present, any internal chaos would become a massive joke.
Kai nodded.
Minato not defending Sarutobi Hiruzen at all made him extremely satisfied.
And as for the village's reputation—
That was indeed something to consider.
After all, if the other villages laughed at them, he'd be embarrassed too.
"Don't worry, Brother Minato," Kai said lightly.
"I know my priorities."
"I promise I won't cause trouble later."
"Let's go."
Minato finally let out a sigh of relief.
He had truly been worried Kai wouldn't cooperate.
Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case.
Soon after, the two exchanged a few more words, then stopped chatting and left the room together.
…
In the living room.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was dark enough to drip water.
He was in pain.
Real pain.
…
Although the report sent by Yamanaka Haichi was extremely brief, every single word felt like a blade carving into his heart.
Half of the Sarutobi clan's ninja.
That number alone crushed his chest, making it hard to breathe.
He had worked so hard for the clan's growth.
Squeezing the village's finances.
Swallowing the legacies of the Senju and Uzumaki.
Was any of it easy?
It had taken countless years and rivers of blood just to barely bring the Sarutobi clan to where it was now.
Even then, compared to wealthy clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga, they were still lacking.
But he believed—
As long as he completely eliminated those two clans one day, the Sarutobi would become the largest ninja clan in Konoha.
But now—
It was all over.
Completely over.
On the side, Jiraiya's expression was just as ugly.
Although he had long known the village was dark, Kai's earlier words still made his heart feel heavy.
Yet even so—
He had never imagined things had reached such an extreme.
This wasn't just a power struggle anymore.
This was madness.
Danzo—he knew him.
That man had always been his teacher's shadow.
Jiraiya had wanted to kill Danzo outright more than once.
Because he understood very clearly—
As long as Danzo remained among the leadership, Konoha would never know peace.
But every time—
Sarutobi Hiruzen had refused.
And now?
The Sarutobi clan had been slaughtered.
At this moment, Jiraiya didn't even know what to say.
Just then, Minato and Kai walked in.
Kai's expression was calm.
He didn't look at anyone.
He simply found a seat and sat down.
Naturally—
He kept the promise he had made to Minato.
He had no intention of provoking anyone.
Minato, meanwhile, greeted Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya briefly before sitting down beside Kai.
Time passed slowly.
The silence in the room was oppressive.
Among the four of them, no one spoke first.
About an hour later—
Nara Shikaku pushed the door open and walked in.
"Hokage-sama," he said calmly. "Everything is settled."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded heavily.
"Very good."
"Shikaku, you've worked hard."
Then he turned his gaze toward Minato.
"Next, it's up to you."
"Return to the village."
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